When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More

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There are a number of reasons why you should see a show at The Regency Ballroom — its ornate, turn-of-the-century architecture and eclectic lineup of performers, to name a few — but no reason is more compelling than the venue's ample seating.

For someone who lives in the downtown corridor — all right, the Tenderloin — the idea of going to Ocean Beach for pizza is rife with potential pratfalls: high Uber fares, lengthy Muni trips, ever-present fog, jet lag.

Friday, January 4, 2013

When you spend enough time going to bars, talking to bartenders, and trying their drinks, you start to develop a mental list of people to keep an eye on. Having seen Chris Lane behind the bar at Flora, Heaven's Dog, Tradition, and Wo Hing, there was little doubt the low-key, gracious, and talented barman could run a great show. So when I heard that Chris Lane had taken over the bar at Lolinda from Lane Ford, the Argentine-style grill from the team behind Delarosa and Beretta, I had to hurry in.

The menu is still transitioning in, but most of the new cocktails go live this week. With the demand for cocktails with dinner unexpectedly high, Chris Lane decided to make some tweaks. There is a definite shift to less spirit-driven, lighter options, and recipes that streamline the process to decrease wait times. He is launching with five original cocktails, keeping the classics, and planning on adding a rotating drink that showcases a recipe from other bartenders.

All five of the originals are solid, like the Lone Palm ($10, house spiced rum, lime, grapefruit, honey, bitters) that is an ode to the Mission bar, the fall spiced Rock n Rolla ($10, bourbon, apple, lemon, maple, allspice, bitters, nutmeg), and a drink I wish I could finish every meal with, The Devil's Backbone ($10, rye whiskey, Lagavulin scotch whisky, Averna amaro, Gran Classico, Angostura bitters, Orange bitters, orange peel), that really needed a big chair and a fireplace.

But the one drink that I just could have easily enjoyed all night was The Oaxacan Cross ($10, mezcal, ruby port, lime, pineapple, ginger, maraschino, orange peel), which was juicy yet a fascinating mix of ingredients. The mezcal and maraschino playing a culinary bout of capoeira, the Brazilian dance-like martial art, stepping in with a little smoke here, a kick of herbaceousness there, all riding a rhythm.

Inspired by Charles H. Baker's "The Gentlemen's Companion" travelogue, Chris Lane created the drink by nudging the ingredients of two drinks together. "The Oaxacan Cross is a basically a mash up between an El Morocco (cognac, pineapple, port, lime, curaçao, grenadine) and a Diablo (tequila, lime, ginger, cassis)," explained Chris Lane. The drink requires a little bit of bartending and a little bit of DJing, but it's all thumping groove in a glass.

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"